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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25349089">Three Favors</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/avan337/pseuds/avan337'>avan337</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Community (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 07:02:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,592</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25349089</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/avan337/pseuds/avan337</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Annie asks Jeff for three favors</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Annie Edison/Jeff Winger</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>118</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Three Favors</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Includes some curse words</p><p>Post-S6<br/>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The knocking on his door led Jeff to find Annie on the threshold. She was holding a decorative box and had a serious look on her face.</p><p>“I have three favors to ask of you,” she said by way of greeting, moving past him to step inside his condo.</p><p>“If I grant them, will I turn into a genie and descend into a bottle of scotch?” he smirked. Noting that she didn’t seem amused, he changed tactics.</p><p>“How was your going away dinner with your dad and brother?”</p><p>Annie sighed. “It was good; really good, actually. Thanks for asking. NOT why I’m here.” </p><p>Jeff took a minute to study her. She was definitely in formidable mode. Given that she was leaving the next day, he decided not to provoke her and just go with it. </p><p>“You know I’ll do anything you ask,” he said simply, leading her to the couch.</p><p>She sat down, turned to face him and held out the box. “First, I need you to hold on to this. It’s the tiara Pierce gave me.”</p><p>Jeff opened the lid to find a velvet bag inside and, after opening that, he held up the tiara. “I can’t believe you still have this. Why didn’t you sell it?”</p><p>“I thought about it a couple of times, especially when I was between jobs and really broke,” Annie replied. “But, Pierce gave it to me. I just couldn’t.”</p><p>He gave her a knowing look and his best shit-eating grin. “And you don’t trust Britta to keep it safe in your apartment?”</p><p>She snorted. “Of course not! Would you?”</p><p>“Of course not,” Jeff agreed, placing the tiara back in the bag and the lid back on the box. It occurred to him that, if she was asking him to hold on to this, it meant she would have to come back and get it. This made him feel better, as he had already been calculating the hours until he had to pick her and Abed up and head to the airport.</p><p>As he placed the box on the coffee table he told her, “I promise I will put this someplace safe while you’re gone.” He turned back to her. “One favor down: what’s next?”</p><p>Annie leaned in. “I need you to promise me you’ll stick to the schedule I created and check in on Abed when it’s your turn.” Jeff opened his mouth to speak but she kept going. “I know he’s excited about his new job and that he’s grown a lot these last couple of years, but he’s moving by himself to a whole new city, and I can’t help but worry.”</p><p>Jeff wondered if she realized the irony in her words. “What if Abed does great, and doesn’t need us checking up on him?”</p><p>She considered this. “Well, then, we can reevaluate the schedule. But please, Jeff, at least for the first few weeks…”</p><p>He waved one hand in front of her, “Don’t worry, Annie. I get it. I’ll stick to the schedule, and I’ll make sure Britta and Frankie do, too.”</p><p>“Thank you,” she exhaled. “I just don’t want some Hollywood douche bags coming along and taking advantage of him, you know?”</p><p>Jeff couldn’t help but smile at her earnestness. “I know, but don’t forget, Abed can be pretty cutthroat when he wants to be. I think he can hold his own.”</p><p>Annie grinned and nodded slightly. They sat for a few moments in comfortable silence. Jeff wanted to suggest she sit back, have a glass of wine and stay a while, but she seemed to be on a mission. And he didn’t want to hear her say no.</p><p>He took a deep breath and said, “Well, you better tell me the third favor.” To keep things light, he added, “Although if I grant it now, actually do turn into a genie and proceed to slide down a bottle of Macallan, you’ll have to get another ride to the airport.”</p><p>Ignoring the attempt at humor, Annie stood up and began pacing, gathering her courage. She realized she was stepping into dangerous territory, but it was too important to her not to see it through.</p><p>“Annie?” She looked back at Jeff to see a concerned look on his face. He stood up and took a few steps toward her. “Are you all right?”</p><p> “Yeah, I am,” she said, once again determined. “My third favor is this: While I’m gone, I need you to think about what you want your life to be.”</p><p>Completely thrown off guard, he shook his head. “What in the non sequitur are you talking about?”</p><p>“Jeff, you have spent the last year acting like your life is over, when it’s not even close. You drink all day and night, you either hate your job or you’re too scared to commit to doing it well. I don’t know why you’ve been this way, but it’s time to stop.”</p><p>Jeff felt his defenses go up. He wanted to spew out a denial, but didn’t have the energy. Instead he gave a heavy sigh and asked, “Where is this coming from?” His eyes met hers. “Why now?”</p><p>Annie understood his subtext: why not months ago?</p><p>“I’m saying this now because I’m hoping you will actually hear it. If you want to teach, put some work in. If you want to be a lawyer again, then make that happen.” Her voice rose along with her level of passion. “If you want to become a psychologist just to say you’re better at it than Britta, then re-enroll in college and do it! Just don’t sit here, drinking your life away, wondering what if.”</p><p>“What if?” he questioned, bitterness tingeing his voice, “what ‘what ifs’ are out there for me?”</p><p>She threw up her hands. “Oh, my god, Jeff! Did you not just hear me? You can have whatever kind of life you want. You can have <em>me</em> in your life if you want. You just need to want it enough to do something about it.”</p><p>He knew she was right. Of course she was right. But that didn’t mean he wanted to admit it. They stared each other down for a moment.</p><p>“But I let you go,” was all he could think to say.</p><p>“Fuck letting me go!” Annie practically screamed. The shock on his face from hearing her swear was evident. She calmed herself down and tried a different route.</p><p>“Do you realize that I was the only one who didn’t get to share my Season 7 pitch the other night?”</p><p>Jeff had been so surprised by her announcement at the bar, followed by being so caught up in trying to figure out how to get her to stay, that it never occurred to him.</p><p>“Uh, I guess I didn’t,” he said. “What was it?”</p><p>Annie took a step closer to him and put her hand on his arm. “When Frankie told us to close our eyes and think of our perfect Season 7, all I saw was you and me. I don’t know if we were at Greendale. I don’t know if any of the others were around. It was just you and me…together, and really, really happy.”</p><p>“That’s really what you want?” he was genuinely surprised, “after everything that’s happened?”</p><p>“Yes, dummy!” She pulled her hand away, frustrated. “That’s all I ever wanted, but I finally gave up on you ever feeling the same way. Little did I know you had made the decision to 'let me go' without even talking to me about how <strong><em>I</em></strong> felt!”</p><p>Jeff winced. He knew he deserved that, and much more, but it still stung.</p><p>Looking at her, he realized this was the longest conversation – a real conversation – they’d had in months. Her eyes were wide and open, the way they always were when she was trying to make him understand something. Those damn doe eyes.</p><p> “Okay,” Jeff nodded, “let’s say I do that. I get my shit together while you’re in DC this summer. What then?”</p><p>Annie let out a breath and gave him her best Disney princess smile. “Then, you come get me. Or you don’t,” she added quickly. “Hopefully you do, but that’s up to you.”</p><p>He tilted his head. “Come get you? Where will you be?”</p><p>“Geographically, I’m not sure,” she replied honestly. “Metaphorically, the same place I’ve been for years: waiting for you.”</p><p>Well, hell, Jeff thought. Maybe there was something to this being honest and sharing feelings thing, after all. “Fuck letting you go,” he said, smiling.</p><p>“Yeah,” Annie said, nodding in agreement. She quickly turned serious again. “But it has to be all or nothing, Jeff. I won’t be a secret, and I won’t put up with your head games anymore.”</p><p>She was pretty sexy when she was being formidable, he decided. The only glimmer of hope he had felt since she and Abed announced they were leaving was when Annie was talking about variables and not knowing what Season 7 would hold. Now she was telling him her version of Season 7 was one where he resembled a functional, normal human being, and they were together. He worried that it might just be too much for him. </p><p>Jeff brought his eyes up to meet hers. Annie was looking at him the way she used to, when she was expecting him to do better, be better. He thought about all of the times when he actually was better, because of her.</p><p>“I told you, I’ll do anything you ask,” he said, smiling gently. She smiled back.</p>
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